Browsing All Posts filed under »MusicSTALK«

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The “Key” in “The People’s Key,” the title of the latest album by Nebraska-based indie rockers Bright Eyes, refers to G major (because it’s easy to play and many popular songs are written in it). But for which people did Conor Oberst and company make this album?
Not for everyone, certainly. The album’s ten tracks are interspersed with recordings of the schizophrenic rambling of a man who is either homeless or possibly a theoretical physicist, suggesting that we’re dealing with real, serious issues here (in music, nothing is more “real” than a homeless person).

ArtSTALK: Continuing to complain during award shows so you’re not alone We’re back folks. The ArtSTALK staff is back to snark on celebrities tonight, only this time the musically inclined are in our sights. Beginning today at 7 p.m., Managing Editor Meryn Fluker will live blog/live Tweet the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards, which will be […]

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but the implications of a woman singing about S&M excite me. By Lauren Sieben Amid the hullabaloo surrounding Rihanna’s “S&M,” I’ve learned something valuable: It’s totally OK for women to make sexual music, as long as our sexuality doesn’t venture into the “extreme.” The ball gag-, whip-, chain- […]

Chris Brown’s career was declared dead two years ago. But tonight, he takes the “Saturday Night Live” stage with two Top 20 singles and three Grammy nominations. Is it forgive-and-forget time for him? By Anna Wiegenstein In a previous ArtSTALK piece of mine, I quoted a co-worker who, when expressing her deepest loathing of an […]

Let’s talk about “Glee.”You don’t want to? You’re sick of it? Well too bad – this obnoxious fad is going to be around for at least another year or two. The first season of “Glee” was a novelty, something to be enjoyed not only for its musical numbers, but also for its charismatic and fun (if sometimes snarky) ways of handling topical issues. Unfortunately, the show quickly headed into a downward spiral of plotless storylines that existed only to prop up Top 40 pop songs sung by celebrity guest stars and/or provide fodder for Sue Sylvester’s zingers. Not only has the show suffered creatively (though by no means financially), but Ryan Murphy and co. bought into the hype (with the exception of Jane Lynch, because let’s face it: she’s all kinds of awesome). They turned from underdogs to bullies. Lea Michele and Dianna Agron stripped for GQ. Lea Michele was mean (SHOCK!) to a young starlet. Lea Michele is a diva on the set (noticing a pattern here?).

At this point, it seems impossible to overanalyze the work of Kanye West. Whether he’s tweeting about water bottles or taking Matt Lauer to task, he’s as much a lightning rod for criticism post-Swiftgate as he was after his memorable remarks on Hurricane Katrina. Now, with the leak and ongoing protest of the upcoming official release of his “Monster” video, he’s provided enough grist for both detractors and defenders for weeks to come. The clip surrounds him – along with collaborators Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross – with corpses, zombies, entrails, and a werewolf thrown in for good measure.